Picture hanger

ABSTRACT

The present invention resides in a picture hanger for hanging picture frames, mirrors and other objects that are too heavy for normal hanging devices. The picture hanger comprises a wall mount unit and a picture mount unit which removably engage each other, resulting in a properly aligned picture frame or other object on a wall.  
     In an alternative mode, the wall mount unit can removably engage a groove cut into the top section on the back of a picture frame or other similar object to attach it to a wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention resides in a hanging device for hangingpicture frames, mirrors and the like to walls. In particular, animproved picture hanger is disclosed for readily and easily hanging andremoving picture frames, mirrors and other similar articles to besupported on walls.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] In the past, many different types of devices have been used tohang picture frame and similar objects from walls such as nails, J-hooksor the like that facilitates the ease of hanging and adjusting a pictureon the wall. These type devices suffer from the disadvantages of notbeing able to support the weight of heavy objects or the resultingproblem of keeping the picture frame or similar object properly alignedon the wall.

[0005] More recently, picture hangers have been designed to addressthese problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,247 to Crandalldiscloses a picture hanger and method of using the same. The picturehanger has a T-shaped wall member for fastening to a wall and a picturemount member for fastening to a picture frame or the like. The T-shapedwall mount contains a pendulum member for determining the horizontallevel of the T-shaped wall mount member is mounted on a wall and leveledat a desired location. The picture mount member is attached to a pictureframe and connecting said picture frame mount to the T-shaped wallmount.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,238 to Mitchell relates to a picture hangingsystem using a flexible sheet material device in a T-shaped form havingan opening adjacent to the outer end of a center leg and a head whichincludes spaced legs at opposite ends, extending paralleled to the leg,wherein the leg is threadable through die cut slits in a backing member.The backing member is attachable to a picture frame or a similar object.

[0007] U.S. Pat. Des. No. 341,538 to Paul shows a picture hangingbracket that has a rectangular shaped support base containing acentered, elongated shaft on one end, wherein the elongated shaftcontains a hole at the other end thereof.

[0008] U.S. Pat. Des. No. 386,067 to Hammerski et al. shows a picturehanger consisting of a front and back two-layered unit containing around knob at one end. The back layer is an elongated, rectangularshaped unit that is square at one end and contains a semi-circularconfiguration at the other end. The top layer unit is an elongatedrectangular configuration that is flush on one end with the squareshaped end of the back layer unit. The top layer unit is approximately{fraction (3/4)} the length of the back layer unit. The round knob isadapted to receive a wire or similar object attached to a picture frame.

[0009] U.S. Pat. Des. No. 393,414 to Bries et al. Shows a picture hangerconsisting of an elongated mounting unit having an elongated,rectangular configuration that is slightly curved at both ends. A raisedtriangular shape configuration containing a trough or similar structurefor receiving a wire, for example attached to a picture frame, islocated near the top of the mounting unit.

[0010] As can be seen from the foregoing, there is an ongoing researcheffort to produce newer and more efficient picture hangers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention resides in a new and improved picturehanger which is suitable for hanging picture frames and similar objectsfrom walls. The picture hanger comprises a wall mount unit and a picturemount unit which removably connect to each other. The wall mount unitcomprises a bottom support section which is attached to an upwardlyangled middle section, which is in turn attached to a top section. Thebottom support section is rectangular in configuration and contains aback wall and a front wall in addition to right and left side walls. Theback wall is longer than the front wall and contains a plurality ofparallel grooves extending from one side to the other side thereof. Thebottom section contains a plurality of parallel holes for receivingscrews or the like. The middle section is rectangular in configurationand extends outwardly and upwardly from the bottom support section. Themiddle section contains a top wall and bottom wall, as well as, rightand left side walls. The top section is rectangular in configurationwith a front wall and a back wall, wherein the back wall is shorter thanthe front wall, creating a top wall that is angled upwardly from theback wall to the front wall. The picture mount unit is the same as thewall mount unit except it is rotated 180 degrees horizontally and 180degrees vertically relative to the wall mount unit. In an alternativemode, the wall mount unit is attached to a wall and removably engages agroove cut into the top section of the back of a picture frame.

[0012] In use the picture frame mount unit is substantially the same asthe wall mount unit except that it is rotated 180 degrees horizontallyand 180 degrees vertically and attached to a picture frame using thewall mount unit as a reference. In this position the top section becomesthe bottom section and the bottom section becomes the top section ascompared to the wall mount unit. The bottom section of the picture mountunit removably engages the top section of the wall mount unit to securea picture frame to a wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The invention is further described by reference to the appendeddrawings taken in conjunction with the following description where:

[0014]FIG. 1 is a side view of the wall mount unit of the picturehanger.

[0015]FIG. 2 is a front view of the wall mount of the picture hangershown in FIG. 1.

[0016]FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the wall mount unit of thepicture hanger shown in FIG. 1.

[0017]FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the picture hanger showing awall mount unit and a picture frame mount unit in a pre-engaged mode.

[0018]FIG. 5 is a side view of the picture hanger showing the wall mountunit attached to a wall and the picture frame mount unit attached to apicture frame in a removably engaged mode.

[0019]FIG. 6 is a side view of the picture hanger showing the wall mountunit attached to a wall and removably engaging a groove cut into apicture frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The present invention resides in a picture hanger that isespecially suitable for hanging heavy picture frames and the like on awall or similar object. Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, wherein FIG.1 is a side view of wall mount unit 2 which contains a bottom section 3having an elongated rectangular shaped structure that has a verticalorientation when attached to a wall. Bottom section 3 has a bottom wall18, a front wall 16, a side wall 4 and a back wall 20. Back wall 20 ofbottom section 3 has a plurality of parallel grooves (22A to 22E) whichextend from left side wall 4 to the right side wall (not shown).Preferably, bottom section 3 contains from 2 to 10 grooves.

[0021] The bottom of middle section 11 is attached to the top of bottomsection 3 and is angled at an outwardly and upwardly direction. Middlesection 11 has a top wall 24, a bottom wall 6, right side wall 12 and aleft side wall (not shown). The top of middle section 11 is attached tothe bottom of top section 9.

[0022] Top section 9 has a front wall 8, a back wall 7 and a top wall10, wherein the front wall 8 is longer than the back wall 7 whichresults in top wall 10 slanting in an upward and outwardly directionfrom back wall 7 to front wall 8.

[0023]FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1 showing a plurality of spacedapart, parallel holes 26A and 26B which pass through bottom section 3.Otherwise, the numbers refer to corresponding numbers of the view shownin FIG. 1. It should be noted that holes herein comprise form 2 to 20holes.

[0024]FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the views shown in FIGS. 1and 2. It should be noted that the length of wall mount unit 2 can beextended to accommodate larger picture frames or other similar objects.

[0025]FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of wall mount unit 2 andpicture mount unit 15 in an exploded relationship with each other. Thenumbered elements of the wall mount unit correspond to the numberedelements of FIGS. 1 to 3. The picture mount unit 5 is identical to thewall mount unit 2 with the following exceptions: in use picture mountunit 5 is rotated 180 degrees from a horizontal plane and 180 degreesfrom a vertical plane in relationship to the wall mount unit, as such,the bottom section and top section of the picture frame mount 5 are inthe reverse order as compared to the wall mount unit 2. It is to benoted that top section 9 of wall mount unit 2 becomes bottom section 9of picture frame unit 5, and bottom section 3 of wall mount unit 2becomes top section 3 of picture mount unit 5. When wall mount unit 3 isattached to a wall and picture mount unit 5 is attached to a pictureframe, top section 9 of wall mount 2 and bottom section 9 of pictureframe mount 5 removably engage each other to secure a picture frame to awall.

[0026]FIG. 5 is a side view of FIG. 4 showing the wall mount unit 2attached to wall 34 utilizing screw 36 and picture mount unit 5 attachedto picture frame 35 utilizing screw 37. Both mounts are securelyattached to each other by lowering the bottom section 9 of picture mountunit 5 into the top section 9 of the wall mount unit. The two mounts aredisengaged by pulling picture mount unit 5 up and away from wall mountunit 2.

[0027]FIG. 6 shows a side view of the wall mount unit of FIG. 1 attachedto wall 34 by screw 36. Picture frame 35 has a groove 38 cut into theback side of the top section 40 thereof. The upper section 9 of wallmount unit 2 slides up into groove 30 to secure picture frame 35 to wall34.

[0028] It should be noted that many modification and variation to thisinvention may be made without departing from the spirit and scopethereof and therefore only such limitations should be made as indicatedby the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A picture hanger which comprises a wall mount unit removably connected with a picture frame mount unit which comprises a wall unit containing a bottom section having an elongated rectangular configuration, a middle section connected to the bottom section wherein the middle section extends in an outwardly and upwardly direction from the bottom section, a top section connected to the middle section having a top wall, front wall and back wall and right and left side walls wherein the front wall is longer than the back wall resulting in a top wall which is slanted upwardly and outwardly from the back wall to the front wall; wherein the picture frame mount has a top section having an elongated rectangular configuration, a middle section wherein the middle section is connected to the top section and extends in an outwardly and downwardly direction from the top section, a bottom section connected to the middle section having a bottom wall, front wall and back wall wherein the front wall is longer than the back wall resulting in a bottom wall which slants downwardly and outwardly from the back wall to the front wall.
 2. The picture hanger of claim 1, wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit has a front wall and a bottom wall, a back wall, a right side wall and a left side wall.
 3. The picture hanger of claim 2 wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit has a plurality of grooves that are parallel to each other and extend from the right side wall to the left side wall on the back wall of the bottom section of said wall mount unit.
 4. The picture hanger of claim 3 wherein the plurality of grooves comprise from 2 to
 10. 5. The picture hanger of claim 1, wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit has a plurality of parallel holes passing through it.
 6. The picture hanger of claim 5, wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit contains from 2 to 20 parallel holes passing through it.
 7. The picture hanger of claim 1, wherein the top section of the picture frame mount unit has a front wall, a top wall, a back wall, a right side wall and a left side wall.
 8. The picture hanger of claim 7, wherein the top section of the picture frame mount has a plurality of grooves on the back side wall that are parallel to each other and extend from the right side wall to the left side wall of said picture frame mount.
 9. The picture hanger of claim 8, wherein the top section of the picture frame mount has from 2 to 10 grooves.
 10. The picture hanger of claim 1, wherein the top section of the picture frame mount unit has a plurality of parallel holes passing through it.
 11. The picture hanger of claim 10, wherein the top section of the picture mount unit contains from 2 to 20 parallel holes passing through it.
 12. A picture hanger which comprises a wall mount unit removably connected with a picture frame which comprises a wall mount unit containing a bottom section having an elongated rectangular configuration, a middle section connected to the bottom section wherein the middle section extends in an outwardly and upwardly direction from the bottom section, a top section connected to the middle section having a top wall, front wall and back wall wherein the front wall is longer than the back wall resulting in a top wall that is slanted upwardly and outwardly from the back wall to the front wall.
 13. The picture hanger of claim 12, wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit has a front wall and a bottom wall, a back wall, a right side wall and a left side wall.
 14. The picture hanger of claim 13 wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit has a plurality of grooves that are parallel to each other and extend from the right side wall to the left side wall on the back wall of the bottom section of said wall mount unit.
 15. The picture hanger of claim 13 wherein the plurality of grooves comprise from 2 to
 10. 16. The picture hanger of claim 12, wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit has a plurality of parallel holes passing through it.
 17. The picture hanger of claim 16, wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit contains from 2 to 20 parallel holes passing through it.
 18. The picture hanger of claim 12 wherein the picture frame has a top section, bottom section, right side section and left side section.
 19. The picture hanger of claim 18 wherein the top section of the back of the picture frame has a groove cut in it for removably receiving the top section of the wall mount unit. 